Issouf Ilboudo - Portfolio-64

Issouf Ilboudo (born 1982 in Burkina Faso) is a dancer and costume designer. The making of masks and ceremonial costumes is part of Issouf’s family: he comes from a family of dancers and craftsmen.

He gives a twist to his costumes through his personal situation. Since he has been in Belgium, the costumes, masks and characters he designs embody the journey of bureaucracy: the materials he used in his work (straw, wood and rope) have been replaced by salvaged materials and shreds of refusal and deportation documents. The orange shreds in some of his works, for example, literally represent the old registration certificates, the “orange card”. White is the color of all other administrative documents.

Issouf’s costumes are discreet in content and pure in form. They come impressively to life during performances (Issouf often wears his own costumes during his performances). “The masks are meant to be worn, not hung on the wall.

In Globe Aroma’s studio, he designs new forms that in turn subtly and powerfully address injustice and inequality.

This text was created during a conversation between Issouf Ilboudo and Timur Zakharchev that took place in 2022.

SUMMER OF GLOBE 2021

TRANSFORMATIONS WORKSHOP WITH Naomi Lilith en Issouf Ilboudo

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